Tower Climber (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 1) by Jakob Tanner (interesting books to read for teens .txt) 📗

emerged from her lightning-fast sprint swirling with enough wind to form a small tornado.

Sybil’s leg spun until her foot landed right into Casey’s head, sending her flying backwards across the arena, crashing into the walls of the battlefield.

BOOM!

The audience gasped at the sheer amount of power displayed by Sybil.

The speed, force, and power of the blow was enough to send Casey flying across the arena. It was Sybil Wesley’s famed whirlwind kick attack.

Beyond being a talented airbringer, Sybil Westley combined her skills of wind manipulation with a secondary talent: martial arts. With these two talents synthesized together, Sybil was able to deal incredibly powerful and damaging physical attacks at an awe-inspiring speed.

Sybil brushed dirt off her shoulder as she stared at the cracked arena wall where she’d sent Casey flying towards.

“An incredible opening move from Sybil Westley! Is this it for young Casey Everton!? Many would struggle to get up from a blow as devastating as the one Sybil landed.”

Casey’s back ached with pain.

A sharp feeling coursed through her entire body, making it hard to breathe or even think properly.

“Sybil! Sybil! Sybil!” chanted the crowd.

Casey relaxed some of the mana she’d sent to her back right before she smashed into the wall. If she hadn’t done that, she’d probably be unconscious right now.

Part of her even wished she was unconscious. The pain coursing through her body was very intense and she wanted it to stop.

She lay on the ground of the arena as dirt and debris swirled around her.

She used her remaining strength to roll onto her stomach.

She then reached out with her hands.

C’mon Casey, just push yourself up and get back into the fight.

“What do you think you’re doing, fake-vein?” spat Sybil. “I thought you’d be smart enough to stop after one hit.”

Casey ignored her.

Her arms trembled as she struggled to push herself back up.

“Airbringer may be an uncommon trait,” said Sybil. “But there are still a handful of us, so much so, an airbringer must make their trait their own. They must take a technique that others have and make it their own, make it unique. That is what the Westley family has done for generations. Since I was a little kid I was taught the ways of the wind, of manipulating the air around us. What can you do, fake-vein? Merely make the wind blow in the opposite direction. You’re a disgrace to all airbringers, which is no surprise, since you are a fake-vein. So stay down, don’t force me to kill you.”

All the student climbers in the waiting room were stunned, eyes glued to the TV.

Toto cried out for Casey.

“It’s exactly what I said moments ago,” said Cyrus, smugly. “Sybil is a trained airbringer from the Westley family. There’s no way a fake-vein would be able to keep up with her.”

Max clenched his fists as he watched the television screen. He was still rooting for Casey, but he was shocked by Sybil’s incredible strength. She was a powerful martial arts fighter who manipulated the wind to add speed and power to already deadly attacks.

On the screen, he saw Sybil stand smugly in the center of the arena barely a centimeter off the general area where they’d started. Meanwhile, Casey was trembling on the ground far from where the fight had begun.

Casey was on the ground and looked to be struggling to get up.

“Casey Everton has impressed us here in the commentator booth for still being conscious after that deadly display from Sybil Westley. However, Casey is struggling to get up. Will she continue to fight or are we about to witness her forfeiting the match?”

She won’t forfeit, thought Max. She can’t.

He thought back to that time when they’d first partnered up in the endless forest.

“I want to become a climber because there’ s a treasure on the upper floors that I’m determined to find.”

Max remembered the fire in her eyes back then.

She must have imbued mana in the channel running along her back and spine which kept Sybil’s blow from completely knocking her out.

She wouldn’t have done that if she was going to give up easily.

She knew being conscious for the pain she was about to endure was going to really hurt. If she was willing to consciously take in all that pain, then she wasn’t going to give up.

C’mon Casey, thought Max. Get up already!

Casey’s arms trembled and ached as she tried to push herself back to her feet.

She was in too much pain. It was sapping her of all her energy.

She’d start to lift herself off the ground and then a piercing ripple of agony would course through her back and she’d find her head in the dirt right where she’d started moments ago.

The arena audience was chanting Sybil’s name like she’d already won.

Maybe Sybil was right, she thought to herself. It’s not like her parents knew what to do with her once they found out she had a trait. That she’d maybe become a climber. They couldn’t even afford the basic supplies someone like her would need.

But they had believed in her. Not everyone had.

The group of kids who she thought she was going to grow up with turned their back on her. She was no longer one of them once she had unlocked her profile and trait, but she didn’t feel like she fit in with the climber society of the tower-zone either.

Early on she had realized she needed to forge her own path.

Was this really the end of that path? Losing when she’d gotten so close.

Screw that!

She wasn’t going to quit that easily.

Casey’s body ached but she slowly pushed herself off the ground, gritting her teeth as she fought through the pain.

She got on her knees and then with a slight wobble she was back on her feet.

The whole arena gasped.

Casey had just defied what had been expected of her. To lie down and take defeat. Accept the hierarchy of fake-veins and pure-veins and all that hogwash.

“You fool,” said Sybil. “I gave you a chance to escape